Bar Flair
Flair bartending is the practice of bartenders entertaining guests, clientele or audiences with the manipulation of bar tools (e.g. cocktail shakers) and liquor bottles in tricky, dazzling ways. Used occasionally in cocktail bars, the action requires skills commonly associated with jugglers. It has become a sought-after talent among venue owners and marketers to help advertise a liquor product or the opening of a bar establishment. Competitions have been sponsored by liquor brands to attract flair bartenders, and some hospitality training companies hold courses to teach flair techniques. Sometimes referred to as "extreme bartending", the word flair became popular among practitioners in the mid 1990s. Also used as a verb (e.g "to be flairing"), the word refers to any trickery used by a bartender in order to entertain guests while mixing a drink. Flair can include juggling, flipping (bottles, shakers), manipulating flammable liquors or even performing close-up magic tricks (also referred to as "bar-magic"). Flair is showmanship added to bartending that enhances the overall guest experience. The ideas behind mixology and drink-oriented or service-minded bartending can still be upheld with the correct application of working flair. Recently, there is a noticeable rise in bartenders combining prominent mixology knowledge and working flair skills all over the world. Working flair and Exhibtion flair are very similar on the grounds that they both require precision and practice, however the use of exhibition flair has become a competition oriented style where significantly greater risks are being taken. Working flair, which is much more common, focuses more on delivering drinks to customers while still ensuring visual entertainment. History The earliest record of a flair bartender is legendary barman Jerry "The Professor" Thomas, who poured fiery streams of boiling water and whisky and mixed an original cocktail called the Blue Blazer in the late 1800s. In January 1994 bartender Scott Young from Vancouver, BC Canada formed the company "Extreme Bartending by Bar Smart" and started teaching and performing Flair Bartending across North America. Young took his formal system of training in the art of Flair Bartending to the next level and in 1997 launched his website www.ExtremeBartending.com, the fourth bartending website on the internet. In 1998 Scott subsequently created the five video "Extreme Bartending Working Flair Starter Series", widely known to be the most highly successful video training series for Flair Bartenders around the globe. In 2003 Scott released the follow up 2nd and 3rd level Extreme Bartending training series the "Competition Flair Bartender Series" and the "Teamwork/Tandem Flair Bartender Series." In 2001, the FBA (Flair Bartenders Association), an international non-profit organization with representatives in over 50 countries, recognized Scott for having the most impact internationally as a trainer. The Flair Bartenders Association (FBA) and the World Flair Association - (www.worldflairassociation.com) sometimes pronounced "Wa'fa" are recognized as the global authorities on the sport. Flair competitions Both working flair and exhibition flair can be seen in competitions, depending on the rules and regulations of each event. The important distinction between working flair and exhibition flair is not so much the level of liquid in the bottles (though that is a criterion) but the speed in which the bottle is flair and/or the drink is made. The accepted definition of working flair is "flair that does not noticeably slow service," usually involving bottles filled to various levels (as in a real work situation) that are quickly manipulated and then poured. Exhibition flair almost always involves bottles that are often pre-set with less than 2 ounces (60ml) specifically for flipping. Exhibition flair often involves longer sequences and routines, multiple objects, and performances choreographed to music. The first open competition to have a working flair round was Quest for the Best Bartender in the World in 1998. There are different styles of flair bartending competitions. Legends of Bartending World Bartender Championships test the bartender on four disciplines of bartending, accuracy, speed, working flair and exhibition flair. The Blue Blazer and Independent Flair League (IFL) in Poland rewards flair and mixology together, competitors gain points for both flair and creative mixology. NATIONS International Flair Challenge and other competitions like Roadhouse World Flair, MBA, Athens Flair Open is pure exhibition flair where the biggest and best moves are shown. Competition history The earliest known competition for flair bartending was held by T.G.I. Friday's in Marina Del Rey, California around 1985. Management noticed bartender John Mescall's talent for juggling bottles while pouring drinks and decided to hold an in-store competition, which they later took national. Mescall was a bit hesitant, because other Friday's bartenders saw his art more of a nuisance when they were forced by management to flair as well. He made a couple of "how-to" videos for TGI Friday's and later worked with John J.B. Bandy in what was probably the first ever flairtending video, "Olympic Bartending". The earliest world champanionship for flair bartending was held by T.G.I. Friday's in 1987 for their bartenders, and was won by John J.B. Bandy, who went on to train Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown for the 1988 Movie Cocktail. TGI Friday's is credited for modernizing and popularizing flair bartending in the United States beginning in the mid 1970s. London and Orlando were the hotbeds of flair bartending in the early and mid 1990s. Currently, Las Vegas is the flair capital of the world, with London a close second. The countries currently producing the most top competitors right now are Argentina, Ukraine, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan. Current competitions There are hundreds of flair bartending competitions around the world each year, most of which are local and not well publicized. In 2005 the Flair Bartenders Association (FBA) launched the FBA Pro Tour, a linked series of events where competitors earn points toward the title Pro Tour Champion at the end of the year. In 2007 there were 14 events on the Pro Tour with 7 of them located in the USA. Five-Time World Champion Ken Hall and Jim Allison, president of the FBA, organized six of those seven events. The flagship flair bartending event is Legends of Bartending, which will enter its tenth year in 2008. Some the biggest flair bartending events all over the World includes * Roadhouse World Flair in London, UK * LEGENDS of Bartending (Las Vegas) * Quest (Orlando - the oldest major flair competition in the world) * Bacardi Pro Flair (Moscow) * Skyy Global Flair Challenge in 14 different countries incl. China, UK, Canada, Israel, Czech Republic, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, etc. The newest major events to gain credibility among top competitors include: * Umag Daylight (Croatia) * Helsinki Onella Flair Master (Finland) * Athens Flair Open (Greece) * Brasil Open Flair (Sao Paulo, Brazil) * Flair Vegas (Las Vegas) * IFL (Poland) * Prague Bartendending Challenge (Czech Republic) * The Blue Blazer Challenge (Las Vegas). Major events almost always have a prize money of US $20,000 or more, and most of today's majors including Legends, Nations, Quest and Roadhouse World Flair in London. Flair bars The term flair bar was first coined by FBA co-founder and first president, Toby Ellis, in 1997. Ellis also started the first website devoted to flair bartending in 1997, Bar Magic. Ellis opened flair bars most notably in Las Vegas (Shadow, Caesar's Palace), Hawaii (Jackie's Kitchen), and South Africa (Sequoias), and has provided flair consultation and training for TGI Friday's, Kahunaville, Caesars Palace, Isle of Capri Casinos, Winter Park Ski Resort, Tavern on the Green and on Food Network Television. Video Clip 300px|left